¤
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>> Good morning.
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>> Good morning.
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>> Happy Sabbath to everyone.
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It's good to see you.
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Welcome to worship
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at Pioneer today.
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Do we have any visitors
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here today?
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Welcome. Anybody else?
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Welcome. Well, I'm going to --
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Oh, hi. Welcome.
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Thank you for coming.
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Thank you for joining us online,
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as well, and on the radio.
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We are happy to have you
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as part of our worship family.
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I want to ask that you help me
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to welcome us to church today.
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So, I'm going to invite you
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to reach over and greet someone
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with a warm smile,
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a warm handshake,
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and a warm word of welcome.
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Would you do that, please?
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Again.
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And I didn't greet
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this side this morning.
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[ Laughs ]
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Thank you so much.
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It is our prayer today
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that you will have a rewarding
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encounter with God --
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they're always rewarding -- that
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when you leave here
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you would have been changed.
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It is now time for our call
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to worship.
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You may find it on your worship
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bulletin or on the screen,
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and I would invite you to read
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responsibly with me
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our call to worship.
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Now, it has some adjectives
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there that I --
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I want you to put some feeling
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into an expression
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as we talk about
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the beautiful voice and so on.
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So, join me as we read.
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Will you join me by
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standing for prayer
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and then remain standing
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for the songs that follow?
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Let us pray.
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Prince of Peace, mighty God,
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Emmanuel,
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Jesus, the one who will save us
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from our sins.
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How we thank You
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that You are our God,
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how we worship You today,
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how we give You glory.
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We come into Your presence.
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We gather together in this house
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of prayer for all people.
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And we worship You with all that
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we have and all that we are.
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While our worship is imperfect,
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we invite You to perfect
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our worship and perfect
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our love for You.
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So, Prince of Peace, control
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our will, bid
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our struggling hearts be still.
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Bid our doubts and fears
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to cease
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and hush our spirits into peace
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as we worship You in spirit
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and in truth.
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Amen.
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>> Amen.
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Happy Sabbath, church.
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We are here today
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because there is joy.
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There is a gift that was given
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to us when Christ was born.
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He's the gift of salvation,
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and he's the joy to the world.
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And as we sing that song,
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we invite you all to sing
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along with us.
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[ "Joy to the World
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(Joyful, Joyful)" begins ]
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>> Amen. Amen.
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[ "The Work of Christmas"
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begins ]
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>> ¤ When the song of the angels
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is stilled ¤
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¤ When the star in the sky
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is gone ¤
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¤ When the kings and princes
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are home ¤
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¤ When the shepherds are back
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with their flock ¤
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¤ The work of Christmas begins
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¤ To find the lost
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¤ To heal the broken
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¤ To feed the hungry
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¤ To release the prisoner
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¤ To rebuild the nations
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¤ To bring peace
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among brothers ¤
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¤ To make music, make music
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make mu-u-u-sic
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from the heart ¤
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¤ When the song of the angels
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is stilled ¤
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¤ When the star in the sky
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is gone ¤
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¤ When the kings and princes
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are home ¤
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¤ When the shepherds are back
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with their flock ¤
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¤ The work of Christmas
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begins ¤
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>> Our Scripture reading today
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is found in Luke 2:8-14.
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The Bible says,
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"And there were shepherds
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living out in the fields nearby,
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keeping watch over their flocks
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at night.
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An angel of the Lord
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appeared to them,
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and the glory of the Lord
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shone around them,
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and they were terrified.
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But the angel said to them,
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'Do not be afraid.
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I bring you good news
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that will cause great joy
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for all the people.
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Today in the town of David,
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a Savior has been born to you.
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He is the Messiah, the Lord.
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This will be a sign to you.
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You will find a baby
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wrapped in cloths
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and lying in a manger.'
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Suddenly, a great company
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of the heavenly host appeared
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with the angel, praising God
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and saying, 'Glory to God
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in the highest Heaven,
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and on Earth peace to those on
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whom His favor rests."
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>> Amen.
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Many of you don't know
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the story behind this song
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that happened this week
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for me and for the praise team.
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But there is a testimony there.
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What I want to tell you about it
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is that the word
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"Emmanuel" is a promise
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that sometimes we lose sight of.
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It happened to me this Thursday,
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where things that are
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unexpected, things that
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are unplanned happen,
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and we lose sight of the fact
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that God is with us.
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We lose sight of the fact
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that we are not alone.
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We lose sight of the fact
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that whatever we do,
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if we do it according
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to His will, He will be with us,
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empowering us to do His bidding.
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And He is with us right now.
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So, we invite you
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to please sing along.
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It's going to be
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a different version of the song,
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but I'm sure
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you're going to love it.
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[ "Emmanuel" begins ]
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[ "O Come, All Ye Faithful"
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begins ]
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[ "Worthy of It All" begins ]
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Amen. Praise God.
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You may be seated.
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>> Turn in your hymnals, please,
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to number 142.
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The hymnal is the
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not-so-often-used book
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that's in the pew there.
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Brush the dust off of it.
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Page 142.
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And if you are on the right
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page, you will find a Christmas
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carol, a hymn entitled
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"Angels We Have Heard on High."
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This will be our text for today.
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If you don't have a hymnal
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where you are at,
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find somebody who does.
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You will need one.
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If you don't know them,
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just sidle up next to them
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and say, "I only want you
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for your hymnal," and this will
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help you to meet new people.
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You'll be ready to go.
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The first verse says this.
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"Angels we have heard on high,
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singing sweetly through
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the night,
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and the mountains in reply,
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echoing their brave delight."
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You know, most of the time
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when we sing praises to God,
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it's during the daytime.
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And I can safely say that
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because I think if you took,
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on average, the amount
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of praise sung to God,
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probably worship services
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like this one would rule the day
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as far as frequency.
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And indeed we do hold our church
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services during the day.
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I mean, today the sun
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is shining bright
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at about 4,000 feet and above,
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and we can see.
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We can see each other here.
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We sing our praises and whatnot.
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But there are some notable
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exceptions in salvation history,
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where singing praises to God
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was not done just during
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the day but during the night.
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Probably one of the most famous
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is the account of Paul and Silas
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in the Book of Acts.
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They are beaten
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for their faith severely.
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They're thrown into jail,
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and not just into jail,
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but into the inner cell
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of the jail,
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and not just into the inner cell
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of the jail, but their feet
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are put in the stocks,
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which probably meant that,
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at best, their swollen, cut,
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bleeding backs
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were against a wall.
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Or probably more likely, there
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was nothing at all to lean on.
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Feet in the stocks,
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backs bleeding,
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singing praises to God
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in the dark.
00:24:02.90\00:24:05.84
Now, blessedly,
00:24:05.94\00:24:07.48
we still continue at least
00:24:07.58\00:24:08.68
part of this tradition,
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at least for the moment.
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Not so much the bleeding backs
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and feet in stocks part,
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but we do still sing at night.
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We call it Christmas caroling,
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don't we?
00:24:16.48\00:24:17.45
And when we go out
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at this time of the year,
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we'll go places
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and we will sing these
00:24:21.22\00:24:22.49
Christmas carols
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during the night.
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And I can't help but think
00:24:25.29\00:24:26.36
that the effect
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that the singing of these
00:24:27.50\00:24:28.50
Christmas carols would have
00:24:28.60\00:24:29.53
would be very different
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if we sang it at, say,
00:24:31.20\00:24:32.90
2:00 in the afternoon
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on a sunny day.
00:24:34.30\00:24:37.11
There's just something about
00:24:37.21\00:24:39.34
singing these carols at night
00:24:39.44\00:24:40.78
that captures the spirit
00:24:40.88\00:24:42.38
of Christmas.
00:24:42.48\00:24:43.38
In fact, picture this in your
00:24:43.48\00:24:44.58
mind if you can.
00:24:44.68\00:24:47.08
Someone at home alone,
00:24:47.18\00:24:52.05
perhaps they've been alone
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for quite some time.
00:24:52.92\00:24:54.96
The sun has long gone
00:24:55.06\00:24:57.53
over the horizon.
00:24:57.63\00:24:59.66
And they hear a knock
00:24:59.76\00:25:01.13
at their door.
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And opening it,
00:25:03.40\00:25:05.80
they peer out into the darkness,
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and suddenly they hear
00:25:09.47\00:25:10.61
the rich refrains
00:25:10.71\00:25:12.27
of ancient carols being sung.
00:25:12.37\00:25:16.48
Yes, these are carols that are
00:25:16.58\00:25:17.41
being sung by strangers,
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but somehow they bring a warmth
00:25:18.81\00:25:20.82
to the loneliness and the cold
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that leaves a glow long
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after the carolers have left.
00:25:24.89\00:25:29.06
You see, in my mind's eye,
00:25:29.16\00:25:30.43
this is one of the reasons
00:25:30.53\00:25:31.39
why those angels 2,000 years ago
00:25:31.49\00:25:33.60
outside of Bethlehem
00:25:33.70\00:25:34.83
sang their songs of praises
00:25:34.93\00:25:36.90
during the night.
00:25:37.00\00:25:38.67
Yes, it's true.
00:25:38.77\00:25:39.33
That's probably
00:25:39.43\00:25:40.04
when Jesus was born.
00:25:40.14\00:25:41.27
But it was also at that time,
00:25:41.37\00:25:43.00
when the sun had long
00:25:43.10\00:25:44.27
dipped over the horizon,
00:25:44.37\00:25:45.71
that the extreme contrast
00:25:45.81\00:25:47.58
between the darkness of night
00:25:47.68\00:25:48.88
and the brightness
00:25:48.98\00:25:49.64
of those angels
00:25:49.74\00:25:50.61
sweetly singing through it
00:25:50.71\00:25:52.41
surely taught a profound lesson.
00:25:52.51\00:25:54.88
And that lesson is this.
00:25:54.98\00:25:56.65
There is no situation so dark
00:25:56.75\00:25:58.55
that the good news of Jesus
00:25:58.65\00:26:00.19
can't brighten it up.
00:26:00.29\00:26:04.19
So, how is it with you this
00:26:04.29\00:26:05.23
holiday season?
00:26:05.33\00:26:08.06
What darkness do you face?
00:26:08.16\00:26:12.07
Maybe there's someone who
00:26:12.17\00:26:13.77
was here last Christmas season
00:26:13.87\00:26:15.84
but isn't here now.
00:26:15.94\00:26:18.41
Maybe something happened
00:26:18.51\00:26:19.47
this year that you so very much
00:26:19.57\00:26:21.18
wish had not happened.
00:26:21.28\00:26:23.21
Or maybe something didn't happen
00:26:23.31\00:26:24.51
that you wish did.
00:26:24.61\00:26:27.32
Whatever the case,
00:26:27.42\00:26:29.88
let the angelic concert on the
00:26:29.98\00:26:31.65
plain of Bethlehem remind you.
00:26:31.75\00:26:33.92
The glorious peace that Jesus
00:26:34.02\00:26:36.12
brings can still break
00:26:36.22\00:26:37.96
through the darkest of nights,
00:26:38.06\00:26:39.79
even yours.
00:26:39.89\00:26:42.30
The light that gives light
00:26:42.40\00:26:43.03
to everyone
00:26:43.13\00:26:43.80
has come into the world.
00:26:43.90\00:26:46.03
Why not hear His knock
00:26:46.13\00:26:47.94
and open the door of your heart
00:26:48.04\00:26:49.74
and let His love dispel
00:26:49.84\00:26:50.84
the darkness?
00:26:50.94\00:26:53.34
You know, this time of year,
00:26:53.44\00:26:54.48
perhaps more than others,
00:26:54.58\00:26:56.28
is a time when I think
00:26:56.38\00:26:57.88
the invitations to accept Christ
00:26:57.98\00:27:00.08
can be the loudest,
00:27:00.18\00:27:01.08
and I praise the Lord for that.
00:27:01.18\00:27:03.18
The entire season, rightly
00:27:03.28\00:27:04.59
understood, focuses on Jesus.
00:27:04.69\00:27:07.22
If you haven't made a decision
00:27:07.32\00:27:08.19
for Jesus Christ yet --
00:27:08.29\00:27:09.16
maybe you've never been
00:27:09.26\00:27:09.92
baptized; or maybe you were
00:27:10.03\00:27:10.96
baptized at some time in the
00:27:11.06\00:27:12.26
past and you faded from that --
00:27:12.36\00:27:14.30
I just want to encourage you.
00:27:14.36\00:27:15.23
Let this be your season.
00:27:15.33\00:27:16.77
Let this be the time.
00:27:16.87\00:27:18.00
Say yes to Jesus.
00:27:18.10\00:27:20.00
And for those of you that have
00:27:20.10\00:27:21.14
already made a decision,
00:27:21.24\00:27:23.14
but maybe you need to recommit,
00:27:23.24\00:27:25.67
let this be your season.
00:27:25.77\00:27:27.31
Jesus is inviting.
00:27:27.41\00:27:29.31
Let us accept his invitation.
00:27:29.41\00:27:32.78
Let's sing about it.
00:27:32.88\00:27:34.12
Take a look there at verse one
00:27:34.22\00:27:35.52
of
00:27:35.62\00:27:36.92
"Angels We Have Heard on High."
00:27:37.02\00:27:38.82
Sing with me.
00:27:44.43\00:27:45.59
"Shepherds, why this jubilee?
00:28:26.43\00:28:29.34
Why these songs of happy cheer?
00:28:29.44\00:28:31.64
What great brightness
00:28:31.74\00:28:32.37
did you see?
00:28:32.47\00:28:33.84
What glad tidings did you hear?"
00:28:33.94\00:28:35.98
It will surprise, surprise
00:28:39.75\00:28:40.65
exactly no one when I say that
00:28:40.75\00:28:44.42
Christmas today is a global
00:28:44.52\00:28:46.69
affair.
00:28:46.79\00:28:48.09
Oh, I know there are some
00:28:48.19\00:28:49.22
portions of the world
00:28:49.32\00:28:50.56
that do not celebrate Christmas.
00:28:50.66\00:28:51.33
I understand that,
00:28:51.43\00:28:51.96
but my guess is,
00:28:52.06\00:28:53.46
given the commercial firepower
00:28:53.56\00:28:55.00
of Christmas,
00:28:55.10\00:28:56.30
that even those places get a few
00:28:56.40\00:28:58.10
glimpses every now and then.
00:28:58.20\00:29:00.44
Christmas, generally
00:29:00.54\00:29:01.57
speaking, is everywhere.
00:29:01.67\00:29:02.84
And, by the way, here in
00:29:02.94\00:29:04.37
Berrien Springs, I'm learning
00:29:04.47\00:29:05.67
this.
00:29:05.77\00:29:06.68
This is a new thing to me.
00:29:06.78\00:29:07.84
Christmas begins the day
00:29:07.94\00:29:09.88
after Halloween.
00:29:09.98\00:29:11.15
[ Laughter ]
00:29:11.25\00:29:13.11
I mean, it's remarkable.
00:29:13.21\00:29:14.58
I had no idea that this was a
00:29:14.68\00:29:15.85
thing.
00:29:15.95\00:29:16.75
The pumpkins
00:29:16.85\00:29:17.49
come out of the window,
00:29:17.59\00:29:18.45
and there's a Christmas tree
00:29:18.55\00:29:19.32
the very next day, right?
00:29:19.42\00:29:21.26
I think some places, actually,
00:29:21.36\00:29:22.16
the Christmas tree
00:29:22.26\00:29:22.89
was already up
00:29:22.99\00:29:23.99
and the lights were going,
00:29:24.09\00:29:24.93
but the curtains were closed.
00:29:25.03\00:29:25.93
And, like, at 12:01
00:29:26.03\00:29:27.30
on the first day of November --
00:29:27.40\00:29:28.46
bing! -- it's Christmastime
00:29:28.56\00:29:29.56
in Berrien Springs.
00:29:29.66\00:29:31.90
No matter where you go,
00:29:32.00\00:29:34.04
Christmas can be found,
00:29:34.14\00:29:35.87
at least in the Western world,
00:29:35.97\00:29:36.91
with songs.
00:29:37.01\00:29:38.41
How many times have you already
00:29:38.51\00:29:39.67
heard "Jingle Bells"?
00:29:39.77\00:29:41.38
Right? You go to the mall,
00:29:41.48\00:29:42.84
you hear the songs,
00:29:42.94\00:29:44.28
the decorations in the window,
00:29:44.38\00:29:45.41
the faux presents,
00:29:45.51\00:29:47.45
the fake Santa Clauses
00:29:47.55\00:29:48.45
that are all set up,
00:29:48.55\00:29:49.15
taking requests
00:29:49.25\00:29:50.45
for parents that hope
00:29:50.55\00:29:51.59
their children choose wisely.
00:29:51.69\00:29:53.09
Christmas today
00:29:53.19\00:29:54.49
is a global event.
00:29:54.59\00:29:57.23
But the truth is that the very
00:30:00.76\00:30:02.10
first Christmas was not.
00:30:02.20\00:30:06.67
In fact, the very first
00:30:06.77\00:30:08.14
Christmas was an extraordinarily
00:30:08.24\00:30:09.97
private affair.
00:30:10.07\00:30:13.38
In face, so private -- it was.
00:30:13.48\00:30:14.64
And I realize this next thing
00:30:14.74\00:30:15.78
is an argument from silence.
00:30:15.88\00:30:17.08
But apparently even the citizens
00:30:17.18\00:30:19.95
of Bethlehem neither saw
00:30:20.05\00:30:22.45
nor heard the angels singing.
00:30:22.55\00:30:24.45
I mean, there's no record of it.
00:30:24.55\00:30:26.49
The shepherds
00:30:26.59\00:30:27.36
had to go tell them,
00:30:27.46\00:30:28.79
not the other way around, right?
00:30:28.89\00:30:31.36
This was a private thing.
00:30:31.46\00:30:33.56
And given the private nature
00:30:33.66\00:30:35.20
of that first Christmas,
00:30:35.30\00:30:36.63
can you imagine how honored
00:30:36.73\00:30:39.50
those shepherds must have felt?
00:30:39.60\00:30:42.64
I mean, there's something
00:30:42.74\00:30:43.54
special about private audiences
00:30:43.64\00:30:45.14
with greatness, isn't there?
00:30:45.24\00:30:47.84
I can't say that I've had
00:30:47.94\00:30:48.78
too much experience with
00:30:48.88\00:30:49.78
those types of audiences, but
00:30:49.88\00:30:51.18
I have had a little bit.
00:30:51.28\00:30:53.45
Some years ago, there was a
00:30:53.55\00:30:55.18
young adult ministry conference
00:30:55.28\00:30:56.89
that was called Connections 99.
00:30:56.99\00:30:59.69
You'll never guess what year
00:30:59.79\00:31:01.06
it was held in, right?
00:31:01.16\00:31:02.02
Connections 99,
00:31:02.12\00:31:04.23
it was the second of a series
00:31:04.33\00:31:06.49
of young-adult ministry events
00:31:06.59\00:31:07.60
that had been put on.
00:31:07.73\00:31:09.46
Connections 99 this time, it
00:31:09.56\00:31:10.57
took place at
00:31:10.67\00:31:11.60
the General Conference building
00:31:11.70\00:31:13.34
in Silver Spring, Maryland.
00:31:13.44\00:31:15.40
Now, in those days,
00:31:15.50\00:31:16.81
I had a different opinion of
00:31:16.91\00:31:19.01
the General Conference building.
00:31:19.11\00:31:20.44
I thought I was walking into the
00:31:20.54\00:31:21.81
mouth of the lion, okay?
00:31:21.91\00:31:23.95
It was not my favorite
00:31:24.05\00:31:25.68
place to be purely on some
00:31:25.78\00:31:27.15
preconceived notions that I had.
00:31:27.25\00:31:28.62
But to my great surprise,
00:31:28.72\00:31:30.52
when I got there,
00:31:30.62\00:31:31.29
people were welcoming.
00:31:31.39\00:31:32.25
They were so thrilled
00:31:32.35\00:31:33.19
that we were there.
00:31:33.29\00:31:34.06
Hundreds of young adults
00:31:34.16\00:31:34.79
gathered to talk about
00:31:34.89\00:31:36.02
Jesus and ministry
00:31:36.12\00:31:37.46
and the three angels' messages.
00:31:37.56\00:31:38.93
It turned out to be
00:31:39.03\00:31:40.16
a great weekend.
00:31:40.26\00:31:42.90
Now, I was programming director
00:31:43.00\00:31:44.83
for Connections 99,
00:31:44.93\00:31:46.63
and so that meant that
00:31:46.74\00:31:48.17
I directed the programs --
00:31:48.27\00:31:50.14
genius, huh? --
00:31:50.24\00:31:51.14
that happened there
00:31:51.24\00:31:52.57
for Connections 99,
00:31:52.67\00:31:53.64
including Saturday night.
00:31:53.74\00:31:55.98
On Saturday night,
00:31:56.08\00:31:56.98
we were going to have a special
00:31:57.08\00:31:57.61
closing ceremony,
00:31:57.71\00:31:58.88
and it involved a puzzle.
00:31:58.98\00:32:01.58
Puzzle was only about this big.
00:32:01.68\00:32:03.18
It had, you know,
00:32:03.28\00:32:04.49
hundreds of pieces to it.
00:32:04.59\00:32:05.39
The idea was that
00:32:05.49\00:32:07.36
every young adult who attended
00:32:07.46\00:32:09.29
would be given a piece
00:32:09.39\00:32:10.73
of the puzzle to take with them
00:32:10.83\00:32:11.76
when they went home.
00:32:11.86\00:32:13.16
The message being, you know,
00:32:13.26\00:32:13.93
we're all part of
00:32:14.00\00:32:14.83
a larger picture.
00:32:14.93\00:32:16.13
We're working together
00:32:16.23\00:32:17.23
to do what the Lord
00:32:17.33\00:32:18.57
has asked us to do.
00:32:18.67\00:32:19.63
So, it's a powerful symbol,
00:32:19.73\00:32:21.57
but we weren't quite sure
00:32:21.67\00:32:22.77
of the details.
00:32:22.87\00:32:24.04
I mean, how do we take this
00:32:24.14\00:32:24.84
little puzzle
00:32:24.94\00:32:26.17
and make it meaningful?
00:32:26.27\00:32:28.31
So, someone said, "Well, hey,
00:32:28.41\00:32:29.21
why don't we call some of the
00:32:29.31\00:32:30.38
brass from upstairs?"
00:32:30.48\00:32:33.48
And so, two gentlemen
00:32:33.58\00:32:34.32
came down.
00:32:34.42\00:32:36.08
This is Saturday night, closing
00:32:36.18\00:32:36.52
night.
00:32:36.62\00:32:38.25
Jan Paulsen and Al McClure.
00:32:38.35\00:32:41.29
Now, at that time,
00:32:41.39\00:32:43.09
Jan Paulsen was
00:32:43.19\00:32:44.56
the General Conference president
00:32:44.66\00:32:46.76
and Al McClure was the president
00:32:46.86\00:32:48.43
of the North American division.
00:32:48.53\00:32:50.17
And I'd seen their pictures
00:32:50.27\00:32:51.37
before, and I knew a little bit
00:32:51.47\00:32:52.20
about who they were
00:32:52.30\00:32:53.17
but had never met them.
00:32:53.27\00:32:53.90
And I confess,
00:32:54.00\00:32:55.47
when they came and they said,
00:32:55.57\00:32:57.51
"Well, who do we meet with?"
00:32:57.61\00:32:58.57
And they pointed to me,
00:32:58.67\00:32:59.47
and the three of us,
00:32:59.57\00:33:00.61
just the three of us, walked off
00:33:00.71\00:33:01.84
into a corner of the lobby of
00:33:01.94\00:33:02.94
the General Conference session.
00:33:03.04\00:33:04.11
I remember thinking to myself,
00:33:04.21\00:33:07.68
"Well, this isn't bad."
00:33:07.78\00:33:09.15
I mean, here are these two guys,
00:33:09.25\00:33:11.82
as far as the Adventist church
00:33:11.92\00:33:12.79
is concerned,
00:33:12.89\00:33:13.99
pretty high-powered.
00:33:14.09\00:33:15.06
We have this little
00:33:15.16\00:33:15.66
conversation.
00:33:15.76\00:33:16.93
"Well, how do you think
00:33:17.03\00:33:17.89
we should do this?"
00:33:17.99\00:33:18.83
And we talked about it a bit.
00:33:18.93\00:33:19.83
And I said, "Well, maybe
00:33:19.93\00:33:20.93
one of you could say something."
00:33:21.00\00:33:22.36
Elder Paulsen
00:33:22.46\00:33:23.97
looked at Elder McClure.
00:33:24.07\00:33:24.93
He said, "Well, Al,
00:33:25.03\00:33:25.67
this is your division.
00:33:25.77\00:33:26.60
Why don't you say something?
00:33:26.70\00:33:27.97
Why don't you go first?"
00:33:28.07\00:33:28.70
"Oh, I don't know.
00:33:28.80\00:33:29.67
You know, you're the GC.
00:33:29.77\00:33:30.41
Why don't you do this?"
00:33:30.51\00:33:31.24
You know, this kind of
00:33:31.34\00:33:31.94
self-referential thing,
00:33:32.04\00:33:33.04
tennis match
00:33:33.14\00:33:33.74
going back and forth.
00:33:33.84\00:33:34.94
And we finally concluded
00:33:35.04\00:33:36.51
as to what would happen.
00:33:36.61\00:33:38.11
Ceremony went very well.
00:33:38.21\00:33:39.71
They were gracious to us.
00:33:39.81\00:33:44.39
And I was honored.
00:33:44.49\00:33:47.39
I was honored,
00:33:47.49\00:33:50.96
which to me teaches at least
00:33:51.06\00:33:52.76
two lessons.
00:33:52.86\00:33:55.23
Number one, never underestimate
00:33:55.33\00:33:59.83
the honor that you grant
00:33:59.93\00:34:00.94
to a young person when you spend
00:34:01.04\00:34:02.04
a few moments with them.
00:34:02.14\00:34:04.91
I know you're busy.
00:34:05.01\00:34:07.38
But if you get the opportunity,
00:34:07.48\00:34:07.98
take the time.
00:34:08.08\00:34:10.08
It just might create a positive
00:34:10.18\00:34:11.81
influence and memory
00:34:11.91\00:34:12.88
that will last a lifetime.
00:34:12.98\00:34:15.78
And, secondly, take that honor
00:34:15.88\00:34:22.86
that I felt that evening
00:34:22.96\00:34:25.86
and multiply it
00:34:25.96\00:34:26.73
by an infinite amount.
00:34:26.83\00:34:29.16
And that is the honor
00:34:29.26\00:34:31.00
that Jesus has bestowed on us.
00:34:31.10\00:34:36.57
You see, Jesus still
00:34:36.67\00:34:37.97
gives private concerts.
00:34:38.07\00:34:40.48
Jesus still seeks a private
00:34:40.58\00:34:42.01
audience with you.
00:34:42.11\00:34:44.61
Jesus would have come and died
00:34:44.71\00:34:46.35
even if you were the only person
00:34:46.45\00:34:47.68
on the planet.
00:34:47.78\00:34:49.38
And right now, as always,
00:34:49.48\00:34:51.12
you have His complete
00:34:51.22\00:34:52.35
and undivided attention.
00:34:52.45\00:34:55.62
No wonder those shepherds
00:34:55.72\00:34:56.22
were jubilant.
00:34:56.32\00:34:57.63
They had seen a great
00:34:57.73\00:34:58.96
and bright hope.
00:34:59.06\00:35:00.26
They had heard the glad tidings.
00:35:00.36\00:35:02.23
And though those tidings were
00:35:02.33\00:35:04.10
intended for the entire world,
00:35:04.20\00:35:06.13
they were also intended
00:35:06.23\00:35:07.77
just for them and just for me
00:35:07.87\00:35:10.04
and just for you.
00:35:10.14\00:35:13.64
Behold what honor the God of the
00:35:13.74\00:35:16.51
universe has bestowed upon us.
00:35:16.61\00:35:20.52
Let's sing about it.
00:35:20.62\00:35:22.12
Take a look at verse two.
00:35:22.22\00:35:23.79
>> "Come to Bethlehem and see,
00:36:13.23\00:36:15.77
Him whose birth the angels sing.
00:36:15.87\00:36:18.17
Come adore on bended knee,
00:36:18.27\00:36:19.97
Christ the Lord,
00:36:20.08\00:36:22.18
the newborn King."
00:36:22.28\00:36:26.15
We're going to start
00:36:26.25\00:36:26.95
with the easy questions first.
00:36:27.05\00:36:29.32
How many of you have been born?
00:36:29.42\00:36:32.09
[ Laughter ]
00:36:32.19\00:36:35.42
All right, those of you that
00:36:35.52\00:36:36.22
did not raise your hand, we'll
00:36:36.32\00:36:37.23
have a little talk afterwards.
00:36:37.33\00:36:38.26
We'll clear some things up,
00:36:38.36\00:36:39.23
which are undoubtedly
00:36:39.33\00:36:40.03
a mystery to you.
00:36:40.13\00:36:41.36
Second question --
00:36:41.46\00:36:42.53
maybe a little harder.
00:36:42.63\00:36:44.30
How many of you remember
00:36:44.40\00:36:45.20
what it was like?
00:36:45.30\00:36:46.70
[ Laughter ]
00:36:46.80\00:36:49.34
Yeah. Me neither.
00:36:49.44\00:36:50.64
Right. It's kind of a blessing,
00:36:50.74\00:36:52.07
isn't it, that the Lord
00:36:52.17\00:36:53.04
kind of brushes some amnesia
00:36:53.14\00:36:54.64
on babies' brains
00:36:54.74\00:36:56.24
because it's fairly traumatic
00:36:56.34\00:36:57.51
most of the time, right?
00:36:57.61\00:36:59.61
But let me tell you at least a
00:36:59.71\00:37:01.28
little bit about what it's like.
00:37:01.38\00:37:04.09
I've seen two live births.
00:37:04.19\00:37:05.75
I've been a part of that process
00:37:05.85\00:37:06.82
in the last 20 years or so.
00:37:06.92\00:37:08.86
And let me tell you at least
00:37:08.96\00:37:09.56
a little bit
00:37:09.66\00:37:10.46
about what it's like.
00:37:10.56\00:37:11.66
If you go today, at least
00:37:11.76\00:37:14.20
in the West, certainly here
00:37:14.30\00:37:15.03
in the United States,
00:37:15.13\00:37:16.30
to have a baby, often you
00:37:16.40\00:37:18.20
will go to a birthing suite.
00:37:18.30\00:37:21.07
Now, when I was born, they did
00:37:21.17\00:37:22.30
not have birthing suites.
00:37:22.40\00:37:23.30
In fact, there wasn't
00:37:23.41\00:37:24.37
a whole lot that was "sweet"
00:37:24.47\00:37:25.17
about birth at all.
00:37:25.27\00:37:26.41
But birthing suites now, I mean,
00:37:26.51\00:37:27.71
they're gorgeous.
00:37:27.81\00:37:28.48
They're, you know,
00:37:28.58\00:37:29.04
very well-done.
00:37:29.14\00:37:29.91
There's woodwork there
00:37:30.01\00:37:30.88
and beautiful colors,
00:37:30.98\00:37:32.25
and everything is soft
00:37:32.35\00:37:33.48
and nice and welcoming.
00:37:33.58\00:37:35.22
And the technology that is woven
00:37:35.32\00:37:38.55
into that environment
00:37:38.65\00:37:39.75
is breathtaking.
00:37:39.85\00:37:41.76
I mean, there is technology
00:37:41.86\00:37:43.02
and technical know-how
00:37:43.12\00:37:44.76
and medical expertise
00:37:44.86\00:37:45.96
that is just bursting
00:37:46.06\00:37:47.20
from those birthing suites.
00:37:47.30\00:37:48.56
There are things
00:37:48.66\00:37:50.00
to monitor the baby
00:37:50.10\00:37:51.30
and the mother's health,
00:37:51.40\00:37:52.33
you know, just to make sure
00:37:52.43\00:37:53.34
everything is going alright.
00:37:53.44\00:37:54.40
If something goes wrong,
00:37:54.50\00:37:56.30
in the blink of an eye,
00:37:56.40\00:37:57.87
the room will be filled
00:37:57.97\00:37:59.54
with professionals and highly
00:37:59.64\00:38:00.94
trained people applying
00:38:01.04\00:38:02.51
this advanced technology.
00:38:02.61\00:38:04.88
This is one of the reasons
00:38:04.98\00:38:06.15
why the mortality rate
00:38:06.25\00:38:07.75
for infants in this country
00:38:07.85\00:38:08.85
is as low as it is,
00:38:08.95\00:38:09.95
because we are blessed
00:38:10.05\00:38:11.75
with tremendous expertise and
00:38:11.85\00:38:14.89
technology, which explains to me
00:38:14.99\00:38:21.06
a little bit more
00:38:21.16\00:38:23.80
why the birth of Jesus is such
00:38:23.90\00:38:26.30
an awe-inspiring spectacle.
00:38:26.40\00:38:30.37
You see, Heaven, the place
00:38:30.47\00:38:32.07
that Jesus left to be born here,
00:38:32.17\00:38:34.08
is better than all of
00:38:34.18\00:38:35.81
our technology put together.
00:38:35.91\00:38:39.01
This is why Heaven is described
00:38:39.11\00:38:40.65
in the Bible as using inkhorns
00:38:40.75\00:38:42.28
and writing kits
00:38:42.38\00:38:43.15
and paper books.
00:38:43.25\00:38:44.85
You know the picture of an angel
00:38:44.95\00:38:45.69
with a quill pen?
00:38:45.79\00:38:46.69
It all seems kind of prehistoric
00:38:46.79\00:38:47.76
to people today.
00:38:47.86\00:38:48.96
There's a reason for that,
00:38:49.06\00:38:50.46
because if God tried to explain,
00:38:50.56\00:38:52.66
for instance, the data-storage
00:38:52.76\00:38:54.20
and retrieval systems that
00:38:54.30\00:38:55.40
they actually use in Heaven,
00:38:55.50\00:38:57.07
we simply would not have
00:38:57.17\00:38:58.37
the capacity to understand.
00:38:58.47\00:39:00.74
We're not smart enough.
00:39:00.84\00:39:03.07
It would be like trying to teach
00:39:03.17\00:39:04.14
trigonometry to a cricket
00:39:04.24\00:39:06.71
or teaching a whale how to hula.
00:39:06.81\00:39:09.81
It's not going to happen,
00:39:09.91\00:39:12.15
because the difference between
00:39:12.25\00:39:13.18
Heaven and us is vast.
00:39:13.28\00:39:15.45
Think about this.
00:39:15.55\00:39:16.99
What would take us millennia to
00:39:17.09\00:39:18.95
construct God can simply
00:39:19.05\00:39:21.32
speak into existence.
00:39:21.42\00:39:24.49
What we can do only on water
00:39:24.59\00:39:26.63
skis behind a fast
00:39:26.73\00:39:27.93
and expensive boat,
00:39:28.00\00:39:29.23
Jesus does by going for a stroll
00:39:29.33\00:39:31.43
on a raging storm.
00:39:31.53\00:39:34.04
And what even
00:39:34.14\00:39:35.50
our most skilled physicians
00:39:35.60\00:39:36.91
and our most advanced
00:39:37.01\00:39:38.11
medical technology cannot do,
00:39:38.21\00:39:40.11
Jesus does by mixing spit
00:39:40.21\00:39:41.98
and dirt and telling a guy
00:39:42.08\00:39:43.55
to essentially go take a bath.
00:39:43.65\00:39:45.75
And sometimes He will skip
00:39:45.85\00:39:47.02
the spit-and-dirt part
00:39:47.12\00:39:48.52
and just speak blindness away.
00:39:48.62\00:39:54.22
Heaven does indeed know
00:39:54.32\00:39:55.59
how to handle life far better
00:39:55.69\00:39:57.09
than we do.
00:39:57.19\00:40:00.56
And yet at Jesus' birth,
00:40:00.66\00:40:03.80
Jesus went from all that Heaven
00:40:03.90\00:40:05.93
had to offer
00:40:06.03\00:40:09.50
and came to Bethlehem.
00:40:09.60\00:40:12.11
And at His birth
00:40:12.21\00:40:13.31
only Joseph and Mary,
00:40:13.41\00:40:15.24
as far as we know, were present.
00:40:15.34\00:40:16.85
There wasn't even a midwife
00:40:16.95\00:40:18.68
around.
00:40:18.78\00:40:21.18
At best, there were a few cows.
00:40:21.28\00:40:25.15
And last I checked,
00:40:25.25\00:40:26.52
bovine obstetrics
00:40:26.62\00:40:28.22
aren't very helpful if things
00:40:28.32\00:40:29.69
go wrong in a human birth.
00:40:29.79\00:40:33.66
All of that condescension --
00:40:33.76\00:40:36.56
no technology,
00:40:36.67\00:40:38.00
no one there to help
00:40:38.10\00:40:38.93
should something go awry --
00:40:39.03\00:40:41.57
speaks to the condescension,
00:40:41.67\00:40:44.71
keyword "condescension,"
00:40:44.81\00:40:47.44
that was made for us
00:40:47.54\00:40:49.14
so that we might know God,
00:40:49.24\00:40:54.35
because as the Bible tells us,
00:40:54.45\00:40:55.82
"Jesus did not consider equality
00:40:55.92\00:40:56.38
with God
00:40:56.48\00:40:57.52
something to be grasped
00:40:57.62\00:40:58.72
but emptied Himself,
00:40:58.82\00:40:59.89
taking the form of a servant
00:41:00.06\00:41:01.62
being made in human likeness,"
00:41:01.72\00:41:04.93
just as He was in that stable
00:41:05.03\00:41:07.40
in Bethlehem.
00:41:07.50\00:41:09.93
It's no wonder, therefore,
00:41:10.03\00:41:11.57
that when we understand
00:41:11.67\00:41:12.67
what God has sacrificed for us,
00:41:12.77\00:41:14.14
what He has left behind,
00:41:14.24\00:41:15.30
how He has condescended to us,
00:41:15.40\00:41:17.27
we, too, will come on bended
00:41:17.37\00:41:18.94
knee and bow in adoration to
00:41:19.04\00:41:20.94
Christ the Lord, the newborn
00:41:21.04\00:41:22.58
King.
00:41:22.68\00:41:25.81
Let's sing about it.
00:41:25.91\00:41:26.78
Verse three.
00:41:26.88\00:41:29.78
>> "See Him in a manger laid,
00:42:18.13\00:42:21.87
whom the angels praised above.
00:42:21.97\00:42:24.17
Mary, Joseph,
00:42:24.27\00:42:25.87
lend your aid, while we raise
00:42:25.97\00:42:27.91
our hearts in love."
00:42:28.01\00:42:33.52
You all know what a manger is,
00:42:33.62\00:42:34.45
right?
00:42:34.55\00:42:37.95
A manger -- we still have them.
00:42:38.05\00:42:39.52
You know, the feeding-trough
00:42:39.62\00:42:40.76
type of thing.
00:42:40.86\00:42:43.06
My family has a farm
00:42:43.16\00:42:43.96
in Oklahoma,
00:42:44.06\00:42:45.16
and growing up I would spend
00:42:45.26\00:42:46.80
as much time on the farm
00:42:46.90\00:42:48.46
as my asthmatic lungs
00:42:48.56\00:42:49.56
would allow.
00:42:49.66\00:42:50.80
I had a great time
00:42:50.90\00:42:51.97
working there over the years.
00:42:52.07\00:42:53.00
Family is still there, and they
00:42:53.10\00:42:54.87
to this day have mangers.
00:42:54.97\00:42:56.91
They have feeding troughs
00:42:57.01\00:42:57.47
because of
00:42:57.57\00:42:59.21
the livestock that they have.
00:42:59.31\00:43:01.18
Now, generally, when the
00:43:01.28\00:43:03.81
Christmas story is told,
00:43:03.91\00:43:06.35
we do as I just did and point
00:43:06.45\00:43:07.58
out the condescension of Christ
00:43:07.68\00:43:09.85
in coming to a stable.
00:43:09.95\00:43:13.82
Now, I understand, you know,
00:43:13.92\00:43:15.39
was it a stable
00:43:15.49\00:43:16.56
that was aboveground,
00:43:16.66\00:43:17.69
you know, a wooden structure?
00:43:17.79\00:43:18.53
Was it a grotto underneath?
00:43:18.63\00:43:20.06
There is debate about this.
00:43:20.16\00:43:21.93
I've been to Bethlehem
00:43:22.03\00:43:23.57
and was able to see all three
00:43:23.67\00:43:25.37
places that Jesus was born.
00:43:25.47\00:43:28.47
You can pay good money to find
00:43:28.57\00:43:29.80
each one of those places.
00:43:29.90\00:43:31.77
So, wherever it was,
00:43:31.87\00:43:33.51
if it was a stable of some sort,
00:43:33.61\00:43:36.64
it was most likely a place that,
00:43:36.75\00:43:38.95
frankly, wasn't very pleasant.
00:43:39.05\00:43:40.62
It probably reeked.
00:43:40.72\00:43:42.18
The smell probably
00:43:42.28\00:43:43.45
would have met your nostrils
00:43:43.55\00:43:44.39
right away, you know,
00:43:44.49\00:43:45.55
animal waste, manure, probably
00:43:45.65\00:43:47.09
rats running around, had the run
00:43:47.19\00:43:48.16
of the place.
00:43:48.26\00:43:50.03
And it's appropriate to remember
00:43:50.13\00:43:51.43
all of those things
00:43:51.53\00:43:52.86
when we think
00:43:52.96\00:43:53.90
of the condescension of Jesus.
00:43:54.00\00:43:58.13
But I would encourage you not
00:43:58.23\00:43:59.07
to make a mistake.
00:43:59.17\00:44:01.77
Don't include the manger
00:44:01.87\00:44:06.11
in that messiness.
00:44:06.21\00:44:09.71
You say, "Well, why not?"
00:44:09.81\00:44:12.45
Because even back then,
00:44:12.55\00:44:13.98
mothers knew not to put newborns
00:44:14.08\00:44:15.85
in a manure pile
00:44:15.95\00:44:17.82
or into garbage bins, etcetera.
00:44:17.92\00:44:19.92
In fact, I would even go so far
00:44:20.02\00:44:21.52
as to say that outside
00:44:21.62\00:44:23.02
of a palace,
00:44:23.12\00:44:24.26
where Christ deserved
00:44:24.36\00:44:25.83
to be born,
00:44:25.93\00:44:27.86
of all the other places
00:44:27.96\00:44:29.33
that Jesus could have been
00:44:29.43\00:44:30.50
lain after his birth,
00:44:30.60\00:44:32.10
a manger was the most fitting.
00:44:32.20\00:44:37.54
You see, to a horse or a donkey,
00:44:37.64\00:44:40.34
or perhaps, for our purposes
00:44:40.44\00:44:42.01
here today, to a sheep,
00:44:42.11\00:44:45.48
the manger is a place
00:44:45.58\00:44:47.22
that you long to be.
00:44:47.32\00:44:50.42
You long to be at the manger
00:44:50.52\00:44:51.69
because from the manger
00:44:51.79\00:44:53.15
comes food, from the manger
00:44:53.25\00:44:55.69
comes nourishment.
00:44:55.79\00:44:57.69
And, therefore, quite literally,
00:44:57.79\00:44:58.86
from the manger comes life.
00:44:58.96\00:45:04.03
My fellow sheep,
00:45:04.13\00:45:06.27
again, I ask you, "How is it
00:45:06.37\00:45:08.44
with you this holiday season?"
00:45:08.54\00:45:11.71
Are you hungry?
00:45:11.81\00:45:14.38
Are you hungry spiritually
00:45:14.48\00:45:16.11
for more than what you have?
00:45:16.21\00:45:19.31
If you are,
00:45:19.41\00:45:22.58
then come to the Manger
00:45:22.68\00:45:23.52
of Bethlehem, capital
00:45:23.62\00:45:25.45
"M," the Manger of Bethlehem.
00:45:25.55\00:45:29.16
There you will find real food,
00:45:29.26\00:45:30.86
real nourishment,
00:45:30.96\00:45:31.86
not merely for your stomach,
00:45:31.96\00:45:32.83
but for your heart.
00:45:32.93\00:45:33.76
There you can feast
00:45:33.86\00:45:34.93
on the bread of life,
00:45:35.03\00:45:36.16
Jesus Christ, the only item
00:45:36.26\00:45:37.90
on life's menu
00:45:38.00\00:45:39.40
that can truly sate our hunger.
00:45:39.50\00:45:42.47
He is waiting to serve you.
00:45:42.57\00:45:44.64
He holds out His hand.
00:45:44.74\00:45:46.84
Come and eat food
00:45:46.94\00:45:48.74
from the Manger
00:45:48.84\00:45:50.48
that will satisfy for eternity.
00:45:50.58\00:45:54.95
What will your answer to Him be?
00:45:55.05\00:45:58.42
Let's sing about it.
00:45:58.52\00:45:59.62
Verse four.
00:45:59.72\00:46:01.02
>> I suppose there's just one
00:46:55.61\00:46:58.55
last thing we ought to say
00:46:58.65\00:47:01.42
before leaving those angels
00:47:01.52\00:47:03.02
we've been hearing on high.
00:47:03.12\00:47:05.09
And here it is.
00:47:05.19\00:47:07.22
Someday -- and I pray
00:47:07.32\00:47:09.29
it will be soon --
00:47:09.39\00:47:11.09
we shall hear them again.
00:47:11.19\00:47:16.06
And, furthermore, if we choose,
00:47:16.16\00:47:18.27
we can not only hear them again,
00:47:18.37\00:47:19.87
but this time we can sing
00:47:19.97\00:47:21.70
with them, for this life
00:47:21.80\00:47:24.54
is a preparation for the next.
00:47:24.64\00:47:25.84
Perhaps we could say that
00:47:25.94\00:47:27.31
this life is an audition
00:47:27.41\00:47:29.71
for the life to come.
00:47:29.81\00:47:31.75
We have here on earth
00:47:31.85\00:47:33.18
the opportunity to prepare for
00:47:33.28\00:47:34.82
the greatest joy and adventure
00:47:34.92\00:47:36.65
that humankind will ever have --
00:47:36.75\00:47:38.52
knowing Jesus, being with Him
00:47:38.62\00:47:40.59
ad infinitum for eternity.
00:47:40.69\00:47:42.92
And for all of those
00:47:43.02\00:47:43.89
who take advantage
00:47:43.99\00:47:44.99
of this earthly audition
00:47:45.09\00:47:46.39
for that heavenly choir,
00:47:46.49\00:47:48.03
for all who choose Christ
00:47:48.13\00:47:49.26
as their Lord and Savior,
00:47:49.36\00:47:50.73
someday soon
00:47:50.83\00:47:52.30
those clouds will open.
00:47:52.40\00:47:53.44
The skies will part.
00:47:53.54\00:47:54.47
Christ will return.
00:47:54.57\00:47:55.97
And get this -- with Him
00:47:56.07\00:47:58.47
will be those very same angels
00:47:58.57\00:48:01.11
that were singers on that
00:48:01.21\00:48:02.38
Bethlehem plain 2,000 years ago.
00:48:02.48\00:48:05.05
It's exactly the same ones.
00:48:05.15\00:48:06.15
They're doing just fine,
00:48:06.25\00:48:07.35
and they are warming up
00:48:07.45\00:48:08.28
even as we speak
00:48:08.38\00:48:09.55
to get ready for this last
00:48:09.65\00:48:10.85
great concert on Earth.
00:48:10.95\00:48:13.05
And instead of them,
00:48:13.15\00:48:14.82
this time, injecting
00:48:14.92\00:48:16.29
themselves into our lives
00:48:16.39\00:48:17.99
as they did at Bethlehem,
00:48:18.09\00:48:19.46
we will join them,
00:48:19.56\00:48:22.20
and the heavenly choir
00:48:22.30\00:48:23.26
will sing all over again.
00:48:23.37\00:48:25.23
It will be, I guarantee you,
00:48:25.33\00:48:27.04
a reunion concert
00:48:27.14\00:48:28.87
worth attending.
00:48:28.97\00:48:32.64
May the Christmas season
00:48:32.74\00:48:33.84
find us firmly in Christ.
00:48:33.94\00:48:35.51
May we know Him personally
00:48:35.61\00:48:37.21
and intimately.
00:48:37.31\00:48:39.38
And may each one of us be ready
00:48:39.48\00:48:42.42
when that angel choir
00:48:42.52\00:48:44.05
sings again.
00:48:44.15\00:48:46.22
Let's sing the chorus
00:48:46.32\00:48:47.19
one more time together.
00:48:47.29\00:48:48.62
>> Amen.
00:49:19.75\00:49:21.82
>> Church, I invite you
00:49:48.68\00:49:50.69
to stand one last time,
00:49:50.79\00:49:54.86
one last time to sing this final
00:49:54.96\00:49:56.73
song, this beautiful carol,
00:49:56.83\00:50:03.80
"Silent Night."
00:50:03.90\00:50:06.94
[ "Silent Night" begins ]
00:50:09.87\00:50:11.91
[ "Adore" begins ]
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>> Let us pray.
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Lord, this Christmas season,
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we long to know You better.
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We thank You, Jesus,
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for condescending to have
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this private conversation
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with Your people.
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Lord, if there be anyone
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that can hear my voice right now
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that is feeling far from You,
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I pray that you would intervene,
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that Your light would shine into
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their darkness and dispel it,
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that indeed they would find
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the rest that can only be found
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in You.
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May this Christmas season
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be their time to come home.
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We thank You for this gift,
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and we pray it in Your name.
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Amen.
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>> What is it about the
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holiday season
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that gives you the greatest joy?
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Is it the time spent cutting
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down the family Christmas tree
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at the local farm?
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Or, if you're
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south of the equator,
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maybe it's the time spent
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with friends under palm trees
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at the beach.
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Perhaps you find joy
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in contemplating the profound
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meaning of the carols
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that we sing.
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Or maybe Christmas joy for you
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is found in the spirit of giving
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that surrounds this season.
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As we reflect on these joys,
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let's always remember
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the great light who guides us,
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the source of joy
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and meaning in life,
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the loving Father
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who is at the heart
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of all treasured relationships,
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and the wonderful God
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who gave the ultimate gift
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in a newborn child.
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Some of my joy this season
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comes in part from your letters
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and e-mails, your prayers,
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and your faithful giving of
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support for this ministry,
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which literally reaches
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around the world.
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If you've been blessed
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this year,
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I'd like to ask you to join
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the many people who financially
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support Pioneer's media
00:56:38.59\00:56:40.40
ministry, which brings you this
00:56:40.50\00:56:41.53
program.
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It's simple to do.
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Just call our toll-free number,
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877-HIS-WILL.
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One of our friendly operators
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will be happy to help you.
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You can also click the "donate"
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link at the top of our website,
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pmchurch.org, and look
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for the "media ministry" option.
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Truly, no gift is too small
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for God to use to spread
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the good news of His love,
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His sacrifice, and His future
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plans for our happiness.
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Every gift is entirely invested
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in our mission to communicate
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God's good news to a generation
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who needs the hope
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found in Jesus, who alone
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can bring them true joy in life.
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Once again, our website
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is pmchurch.org.
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This season, know that
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our Pioneer family
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is praying for you
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and that our greatest wish
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is that Emmanuel, Jesus Christ
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in the flesh and in your heart,
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will be at the center
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of the best memories made
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with your family and friends.
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